December 5,~ 1901 Thursday. C.R.L.H
9:30 p.m. Going to commence keeping record again.
Very cold N. + N.E. + day. Steam most of time.
Chet + I both here and Violet, plenty of food and fuel.
Very little wind. Water freezing.
Fumigating Chamber with corrosive sublimate. Made big lot of vegetable hash. Slept down stairs last five nights. Wind N.W. Fresh.
Friday Dec. 6
7 a.m. 12 degrees. Lots of thin ice floating westward. Pretty still all night. Lots of steam.
9:20 Chet started for shore. Sun shining. Clearing + pleasant.
9:45 Chet landed without difficulty at W. Pt.
11:00 Schr. John P. Howard loaded with lumber + went N.
Noon. 22 degrees. A lovely day so far. Wind N.E. light. Sun bright. Clock just with big gong in Burlington.
3 p.m. Chet came a little before 1 p.m. Got letter referring him to~"Instructions to Keeper” p.9 sec.50
He has just gone again to Colchester and the city. Fumigating again.
5:15 Chet landed safely
5:30 Chet walking on beach almost to R.R.
Chores all done, ready for night.
12 degrees. Almost still. Lake frozen.
On shore at least 6 below 0.
Chet wants Cass + 2 men to come to Randolph, as he has taken a big job of some kind.
Wrote to J.C. Osburn + R.G. Stone.
Just changed lights.
A fine day altogether
Cass going home tomorrow.
Saturday, Dec. 7
7A.M. The bay froze over last night.~12 degrees, wind S.E, light steam, can’t see a rod anywhere.
Fire in heater, out, and very low in kitchen.
8:00 Everything warm and in running order again.
Outside, frost covers everything. Put glycerin on lantern last night but it seems not to have done any good so far as I~can see.
8:20 Very light wind all night: lake must have frozen some, but though wind is now rising, no floating ice comes this way~~ yet.
9:00 Wind S. Light but rising. Fog thick as ever.
11:00 Wind S. fresh. Sun shinning.
2 p.m. 30 degrees, clouding over again.
3 p.m. Two sea crows near S. corner for an hour.
6 p.m. Fire, away east somewhere.
Haven’t done much except look over the old record for time when boats were put here. Can’t find anything so far.
11:00 Commenced letter to Alma.
Wind S. all day + fresh.
Sunday Dec. 8.
7:00 30 degrees, gale all night from S.
8:45 Got a glimpse of someone with horse + sleigh driving away from north beach.
1:15 PM Glimpse of man on N. beach going away. Thought it looked like Chet.
6:00 Wind S. + fresh all day; he couldn’t get here very well. Two sea crows here off S.corner from about noon until nearly 4.
Had a devil of a time cleaning lantern panes. Got apple mince and squash ready to make pies as soon as Chet gets back.
Lake steamy all day and night.
He may not get here for a week, but all is O.K. here. The cat (Violet) + I are well.
11 p.m. A fearful old gale is raging drenching the windows and making the building tremble occasionally. Awful dark and rainy and snowy. No lights visible. I think no one would be foolish enough to venture out on the lake to-night unless obliged to.
Monday December 9th 1901
1 A.M. Have just sponged my bread and are now going to bed Terrible gale from the S.
Added another installment to my letter to Alena.
7:48 Gale S. unabated. Rain and snow last-night. Cloudy and stormy this morning The ropes that held N.E. ladder broke some time ago. From weight of ice accumulated and this gale bangs it in great shape. But no one can help it. The ropes here are all rotten and we can’t get any others. Ice in Bay looks as if a thaw had made it thinner in places. It may go out if thaw continues.
Noon 43° Wind S. dropping steadily. Only a light-breeze now. Sun shining a little by spells and clearing in the South. Am looking for shift of wind from west in N.W. this P.M.
Hope Chet will come with mail and Ex from N.Y. .
Have got to hustle around this P.M. and do some thing. Bake bread, pies
1:15 PM Some clouds. Wind west. Light. Chet could have got here in the last hour all right.
Hiram and another man with 2 horses, a haystack and load of hay just arrived at Benlaw.
3:50 Chateaugay just passed behind Appletree Point. Put up light at 4:06
4:30 Lake almost still. Seems as though Chet would have come if something wasn’t wrong. Hopes there isn’t. Put bread in oven.
4:30 Raised biscuits and hash for supper.
Several small flocks of ducks going mostly Southwest.
Didn’t get my pies baked after all. I was as certain that Chet would come and spent so much time looking for him that I am afraid I rather neglected my work. Seems almost 45 like a summer evening so earlier and warm. The clouds, I think look like rain.
~ 45° Wind shifted again to N. light.
11:00 34° N. still light and snowing. A very quiet evening. The water gently gurgling among the rip-raps makes all sorts of queer noises. The cat sits singing on my shoulders as I write. Hope Chet will come tomorrow but then every thing is “all well to now” as Sylvester says. Have changed lamps the fires for the night and now I think I will go to bed.
Tuesday Dec 10
7:35 AM Dark, foggy and rainy. Wind S.E. very light. Not feeling very well all night. Think wind will shift to S. before noon. Hope Chet isn’t sick.
9:20 Wind south light Clearing in the S.
Looks as if it might be pleasant this P.M.
Sun shining on eastern Mts. and Burlington but raining here lightly at the present time.
10:00 No fair weather in sight Raining quite hard
11:30 Clearing again in the south and west.
I wish I could set myself at work, but I can do nothing but watch for Chet and wonder what what keeps him. Looking for wind to shift to west.
12:15 P.M. Sudden gale from the West.
12:50 Wind easier still slowly clearing.
Bay breaking up. Shall not expect Chet today unless wind goes down within two hours or by 3 o’clock, certain.
4:00 Wind Fresh almost a gale from West.
Squally all around
5:00 44° Wind rising again.
Potatoes with codfish gravy and steamed rice for supper.
5:30 Wind rising quite hard.
8:15 Wind blowing terribly . Very dark but can see the beacons . Violet is lots of company. I think I should be quite lonesome without her.
I can’t help wondering why Chet didn’t come as he might have got here well enough any time between yesterday noon and to-day noon.
11:00 42° Changed lamps Wind to-day has been quite variable in force as well as direction. Coming upon hard and sudden squalls or gales for a time and then gradually dying away to quite a light breeze. Just now it is very light.
Violet is very uneasy if I leave her sight even for a moment. She has stuck close to me all day and evening.
Wednesday, Dec 11
8 P.M. This morning wind west and light. Shifted to N.E. about 9 A.M. Light and has been so all day. Chet came at 8 a.m. Letter from Asst. Inspector S.S. Wood explaining why ropes and locks had not come. Hiram cutting ice and filling ice-house to-day.
Made 5 pies One mince, one pumpkin and these apple. Baked beans. Chet shot a sea crow while I put up the light.
Fumigated the bed bugs again with hot coals. I guess they are all dead by this time. Chet and I both got a breath of the corrosive sublimate and sulphur and it nearly killed us.
Cass went to R- [Randolph, Vermont] last Saturday.
Wrote to Alma Hines and Sent to D. P. Ordwey Plaster Co of Camden, Me. for 1 doz. corn plasters.
Thursday, Dec 12.
9:30 40° Chet just gone with mail. Card to Essex Record and also to Animal Exchange.
Wind at first the light. Shifted at 8 o’clock to E. and now it is S. very light.
Sun has been shining until now. It is beginning to look hazy though I hardly think we shall have much wind to-day.
Took 4 Ayers pills this morning
10:00 Hiram and his team going home from the Island.
Sun shining again.
11P.M. Wind S. + Light all day.
Pills have made one feel bad all day but arm much better in the last two hours.
Chet got back at 12:30 P.M. with mail and a sea-crow which he found floating. He shot another west of here this P.M. Violet had a great- feast of sea-crow. Chet has a bad cold and is not at all well. Sponged bread to-night. Didn’t have best of luck with last; hope this will be better.
A very comfortable day outside.
Am taking Dr. Shoops Restorative nearly a month.
Letter from him to-day.
Friday Dec, 13
Midnight South gale all day. Damp.
Dressed a seacrow and found 29 smelt in its stomach. Another day of half sickness. Stomach troubles are considerable. Raised the ladder so it is out of danger.
Chet partly fixed cellar windows.
Saturday Dec 14
8:15 55° Gale all night from South
Warmest night and warmest morning we have had. Wonder if Hi was wise in putting his ice in now. Look cloudy damp and Stormy.
4:30 P.M. 55° Even temperature all day with some rain.
Gale from S. all day.
Put pane of glass in porch window. Also one in the cellar window and patched another.
Brought down one bureau and cleaned it scraped paint off the top ready now for painting.
Chet all off the hooks. Homesick. I guess, Well, I don’t wonder he is. I am sorry for him.
Sunday Dec. 15
2 AM 55° Fresh S. Breeze + raining hard and of course black as midnight. Changed lamps and fixed fires.
Warm night almost too warm in the house to sleep comfortably.
2:10 Wind shifted to West just now.
3:30 Wind “ N.E. I guess as rain comes on windows on that side of house. I guess it is growing colder.
10:30 32° Wind N.W. Light- snowing.
6 P.M. 34° “ “ Fresh
A very unpleasant wet day.
Lots of rain fell last night. Looked over a lot of old circulars letters +c in Watch-Room.
Plum Pudding for Supper. A present from Mr.+ Mrs. E. J. Arrighi.
Boat nearly half full with water.
7:30 Wind a Gale. Stars shining through lot of clouds.
7:31 Went to bed but couldn’t sleep so got up again.
7:32 Am feeling rather homesick and lonely to-night from some cause. I don’t hardly know what. Growing Colder.
Monday, Dec. 16
12:30 A.M. 20° Wind Fresh almost a gale N.W.
Growing colder. Porch window and Storm Panes covered quickly with frost.
Few clouds and all lights visible.
1:45 Going to bed. Wind fresh N.W.
6:20 P.M. Wind fresh N.W. all day. Very cold. Lots of Steam.
6° Cut Chet’s hair. He got ready to start for shore this morning but wind was too fresh.
Boat at W. Pt. needs looking after.
~
Tuesday Dec. 17
2 A.M 4° Fire in Sitting Room out. Changed Lamp.
Wind N. Light. Dark and Steaming.
3:45 Fires all fixed up. Feeling rather off the hooks somehow. Wish I could be young again as I was once and could feel as well and strong and healthy.
Think I will go to bed again.
Chet sleeps through everything.
7:50 6° Chet just left for shore. Had to go down S.W. side and start from rocks. Let scoop down with the anchor rope. Took gun and pail for milk. Lots of thin floating ice between here and point. Away South a mile on as a flock of about 3geese were sitting on a large field of ice
Through the glass they looked like beauties with their white breasts and long necks. We got up at 6:40 and had an early breakfast so Chet could get an early start.
The water has come up 2 ½ feet since low water and since the rain Sunday night and a few days previous.
8:20 Loon just came up within 20 feet of the rocks S.E.
Wind Northerly all night and light.
The same now. I think Chet had no trouble in landing. Saw him going toward R.R. on N. Beach with tin pale and grip. Hope he will get back today and bring lots of mail of a kind to cheer us both a little.
Thursday December 19
10:05 A.M. 16° Wind East, very light; and also all night. Chet just left to get mail. Wrote to J. P. Cunningham. Think it is going to be warmer.
6 P.M. Wind North, very light. Snowing lightly. Chet got home about 1 P.M. with mail and another sea-crow.
9:00 18° Wind North, very light; snowing.
Friday December 20
Midnight 14° Wind Northeast, very light; snowing. Situation unchanged. Finished mending the sleeves of my wool lined coat. Hemmed a towel this evening. There seems to be lots of work that ought to be done here before we go ashore.
7 A.M. 14° Wind East, very light.
9:00 Wind West, very light.
11:00 Wind East, very light.
Noon 20° Wind East, very light. Making dressing for duck. Chet sheared two sea-crows, put in cellar windows and split wood. I washed dishes etc.
1:00 Wind South and light.
2:00 22° But pleasant. Most of the time to now.
7:00 24° Wind South. Moon. Pleasant. Some steam. Chet shot two sea-crows this P.M. Duck for supper, with dressing and Johnny Cake without soda.
9:00 18° Wind Northeast, Light. Steaming.
Saturday December 21
Midnight 10° Wind Northeast, Light. Steaming. I almost dread to have the time come when we may go ashore. If I only felt well, I wouldn’t so much care. Well, I suppose I will have to make this best of it.
7:45 A.M. 5° Wind East light, very light. Lots of steam. Sun bright and pleasant.
10:00 Lots of thin ice floating westward. Work train over at the “Pass.”
6:00 P.M 13° Wind Northeast, very light all day. Took inventory of property and put prices on the same, for the Capn’s consideration. A very pleasant day.
Sunday December 22
Midnight 10° Wind S. Moderate breeze, but seems to be increasing slowly.
8A.M. 10° Wind a Gale from South. Steam shuts out everyday.
11:30 28° Gale increasing since morning. A grand sight. Seemed several times as if the water would break the kitchen windows. Sun shinning bright and pleasant; and the lake is nearly white with foam.
2 P.M. Gale is terrible. Seems to have been steadily gaining force since morning. Spray going over the roof and the big rocks rattling like beans in a pan, and shaking the entire structure so that it rings the bell on the alarm clock almost every minute. I think it is the hardest gale I have ever seen here in four winters. Just finished baking pies. One prune, one mince, three apple and an apple turnover. They look nice and I guess they are all right. Chet is cracking nuts to make some candy.
6:00 39° Gale as hard as ever, lifting and banging the cellar door, by force of air and water driven into the well in the cellar, and shaking the whole building to its foundations and ringing the clock-bell. It would be quite exciting for any are not accustomed to living here, and no doubt would frighten many.
10:30 36° Gale continues hard as ever. Read to Chet, “The Arracan Ruby, or the Man from Asia”. Quite an exciting story. Wrote an ad for “Chicago Ledger” Subscription to commence January 4 Saturday.
Monday December 23
Midnight 34° Gale still continues, but at times seems a little easier. Then it blows harder, again.
5:30A.M. 34° Gale continue but easier somewhat. Very dark. No lights visible. Even the moon has disappeared. Fixed fire, and am going back to bed. Don’t feel first rate.
Noon 36° Wind South and seems to be dropping very slowly. Very cloudy, and looks and feels like rain, air very damp.
7:30 38° Wind South only fresh. Damp and cloudy. Good moon only can’t see it very well. Baking Bread. Made list of property here. Copy from Property Return.
8:40 Snowing. Bread baked and beans nearly so. Chet writing to his mother.
10:45 36° Chet gone to bed. Wind S. but very light. Snowing. No lights visible.
Tuesday December 24
8 A.M. 36° Wind South very light indeed and was so all night. Think it must have snowed a greater part of the time, and it is snowing now. Chet left here at 7:15 this morning for Christmas. Returned literature and wrote to J. C. Olmstead. Sent subscription for one year to Chicago Ledger.
8:05 36° The Southwest and Southeast sides of the house are entirely covered with ice to the roof, and the railing on fence is a most beautiful sight. I have never seen it before, as it is now. Have looking all morning for the wind to shift to Northeast on North. It is snowing very hard, and the gurgling of the water among the rocks and the ticking of two clocks are all the sounds to be heard. After the terrible gale we have had it is now so still that I almost think it seems lonesome since, Chet went away.
8:30 Wind has shifted to North and is still very light. Snowing quite hard, and ice melting and falling off the house.
1 P.M. Wind Northwest, moderate.
3:15 Wind Northwest, light. Working an hour and a half, knocking ice off fence ladder and East porch door, and shoveling it over board.
4:30 Wind West, fair breeze.
6:00 Wind West, light. Very cloudy.
10:15 38° Wind West, light. Moon quite pleasant outside. Looking over a lot of old papers. Hope we are going to have another warm snap.
Wednesday, December 25~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Christmas
Midnight Wind West, light. Good Moon but cloudy.
7 A.M 34° Wind South, very light. Commencing to snow. Look for shift of wind.
8:30 Wind Northeast, very light. Snowing.
12:30 P.M. 35° Wind Northeast, very light. Sun almost shining. Two or three men and a two horse team near where RR strikes the shore doing something I can’t see clearly as air is not yet clear, but looks as if they were setting a post, or something of that kind. Guess the snowstorm is over.
1:00 Team and two men just left. Guess it was Charlie and Edson. Sun don’t seem to shine yet.
1:15 Lake nearly calm, but fine ripple coming from Northwest.
1:45 Sun shining. Seems to be nearly clearing away. Lake like a pan of milk. Very fine and pleasant.
2:15 Wind Northeast, very light. Cloudy again.
3:45 Calm again and sun shining brightly.
6:00 34° Wind West, light, but rising. Full Moon.
11:00 34° Wind West, light.
Thursday December 26
2 A.M. 36° Wind West, light; so far all night. Cloudy. Fires both quite low. Saw 9 electric lights at Burlington and Winooski when I changed lamps. Shall look for Chet early if wind doesn’t rise.
4:30 Wind South, light, but rising with rising white caps beginning to show. Afraid Chet won’t be able to get back. Fire in kitchen all out, but the other is O.K. Going to bed now. Hope I will awake on time.
6:30 P.M Wind South all day. Fresh. Cloudy and damp. Chet came at 12 noon. Brought my watch. Regulated the secretary. Looks like a storm coming.
11:50~ P.M. 36° Wind S. Fresh and has been all day.
Snowing. No lights visible.
Am trying to make up any mind if Dr. Shoop’s Medicine is doing me good or not. Sometimes I feel quite certain it is, and then again I feel rather doubtful. I had no reason to expect a very decided improvement, at once, I know. Perhaps by the time I take the rest I have I may be able to decide as to its virtues.
Friday Dec 27
8:00 34° Wind N.W. light. Snowing and has been all night
N. light snowing hard
8 P.M. 34° N. light stars + clouds
Fresh most of the PM.
Pancakes for supper. Chet gone to bed and I am to read to him.
10:00 Wind going down.
Saturday Dec 28
1 AM 33° Wind West, very light. Cloudy. Good moon.
Writing to Cass.
8 AM 33° Wind S. very light sky is full of mares tails
Looking for west wind by noon and a change of some kind within an hour or two.
9:45 Chet just left with the mail. Wind West very light
Quite pleasant this morning.
10:00 Chet just landed
Wind changed back to S. again. Rising and bringing a lot of steam or storm with it.
I fear Chet will have a hard time to get back.
Wind rising fast.
10:17 Steam so thick that no land can be seen can’t see more than 20 rods in any direction.
1 PM Steam nearly gone and steam shining brightly
Very Hazy
Wind S. moderate breeze.
The Cat and the looking glass
Chet back again, wet clean through I had to change everything
Wind South, quite fresh
Tried to bring Charlie’s dead dog but had to throw it overboard
6:00 Wind S. A gale a big one. Has been steadily rising all day. Glad Chet got back at noon.
He arrived just in time. Feel awful tired & sleepy to night
Sunday Dec 29
12:30 AM 40° Wind S. Gale. Changed light.
Writing more to Cass. Going to bed now
Think we will have another thaw.
1:30 PM 34° We have the thaw, all right, and rain along with it.
Wind this morning, was S. light.
Changed to N. light about 11 A.M.
Have just finished breakfast. Chet played harmonica while I write this and wait for dishwater.
6:20 Wind almost calm.
Rain + snow to-day. AM + PM. A stormy day.
Just through supper
Monday Dec 30
Midnight 34° Wind N. very light, cloudy
7:30 Wind NW light. Cloudy, stormy, all round
11:30 “ “ “ “ “ “
1PM “ “ Fresh Snowing
10:30 “ light
Went to bed a couple of hours and slept, but Chet has a bad toothache & so I got some Paragris for him and now I am too wide awake to sleep at present so will read awhile.
Wind is S. I guess by sound, Can’t see.
Tuesday Dec 31
12:30 AM Wind S. Light Changed lamps
Cat sits on my shoulder, singing in my ear and Chet is asleep and snoring while I write
1:30 32° Wind S. Light
7:20 Wind West Light Cloudy
8:45 Wind S. Light
11:30 Wind S.W. Light
Noon “ S again. Fresh
3:15 “ Gale West with heavy snow squall
Chet mopped sitting room & kitchen floors
4:30 Gale N.W.
7:00 “ Continues and increases
Took in N.E. ladder and rigging boxes this P.M.
11:00 Wind N West Gale as hard as we’ve known at this Station. Ice is thick on windows. Boat on N.E. side loaded with ice and fence, ropes and rigging boxes so covered that the can hardly be recognized. Chet and I out with lantern and rope. Put additional lashings on boat. Glad I am not here alone. And it looks as if I should have company the rest of the week. for it seems impossible for Chet to get away at present.
BIG GALE FROM NOR’WEST.
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